Well, preparations are well under way, we will be at WorkSpace all day (see Miss604’s post) from Saturday July 25th, 2009 at 6:00am to Sunday July 26th, 2009 at 6:00am. Sunday happens to be my Mom’s birthday and there’s also a party that afternoon/evening that I am going to attend (though I suspect JT and I are going to sneak in some ‘us’ time). It’s going to be fun, but also rough.
I am Blogathoning for the BC Cancer Foundation (donation page here). So what can you expect from me and my blog during Blogathon 2009?
From my blog you can expect
– About 21 guest post entries written by some of my close friends in the Vancouver social media/tech/PR communities.
– About 28 entries on my personal blog (interspersed). Many of these will be showcasing local businesses, commenting on my own personal life (the theme of my Blogathon 2009 is what are you passionate about)
– About 21 entries on my research blog. I have neglected that blog for SO long and I need to write to keep my research/academic muscles going, so I am going to be writing about my own research stuff. I have got plenty to talk about, worry not!
On Twitter
– I estimate that I’ll be tweeting at about 10-12 tweets every 30 minutes at the very least. I won’t take it personally if you unfollow me. However, if you DM me and you unfollow me (i.e. if I am following you and you unfollow me for the period of Blogathon) I might get very, VERY cranky. I hate being sent DMs that I can’t reply back privately too. So, you’ve been warned.
What can you expect from me
– I get more emotional as the hours progress. The blog posts may get nostalgic, sentimental, etc.
– I may need more hugs than usual.
– I may get huggier than usual.
– But as always, you can expect me to blog from the heart, which is what I’ve been doing for the past 3.5 years.
Please consider donating to my cause and spreading the word. As I mentioned, I have lost family members to cancer so I have a personal stake in this.
You probably think I’ve gone 100% nuts when the title of my post says that my stress levels are through the roof, yet I end the sentence with a smile emoticon. Well, truth be told, they are. Summer is a busy season for me. Business development and proposal writing for my consultancy practices (both of them, environmental and social media), writing (academic research and blogging), and a number of other things that need to be dealt with. But you know what? I have learned that the best thing I can do is to just take things ONE AT A TIME. Do the best I can do with my tools, skills and abilities.
Credit: ProgramWitch
Today, Michael Kwan (Beyond the Rhetoric) wrote a post showcasing other bloggers/writers/freelancers and the topic was stress. I had planned to write this post a while ago, but Michael had already been kind enough to showcase me on his blog a few times so I figured this time I’d go the reverse route, and link to my current situation.
I am, in all senses of the world, a warrior. I am someone who is not easily defeated, someone who can take challenges on and tackled them directly. Last night, I commented that I was almost on the verge of tears, and a number of my friends in my social networks reached out to me to comfort me and provide support. The same happened with family members. This mobilization of people around me reminded me of how lucky I am. As I mentioned on Facebook:
Raul realizes today and every day how much he is loved and supported by his friends, family. And is having a VERY productive day that started at 6:00am (for those keeping score at home, I went to bed at 1:30am last night). Cheers to productivity and to love! 🙂
I just had a couple of very productive meetings and received word about some potential additional client work which definitely put me in a VERY, very happy mood. I think the most important thing I can think about right now is how to best move forward with my research, my teaching, my consulting and in general, maintaining a good balance. I think I’m on the right track.
And, on YOUR side, how are YOU doing? Are you dealing with stress? If so, how are you coping with it?
For a few weeks now, several of my friends on Twitter and I have tried to establish a tradition to share our musical taste with our followers. Richard Loat (@mozy19), myself (@hummingbird604) Erin Gee (@erin_gee) Keith Murray (@kdmurray), Claudia (@CityGirl912 and Kim Garrett (@kiwi05).
This week, hat tips to Richard, we will be reviewing Canadian artists. I have to cheat, unfortunately, because I will be away in Powell River all of Thursday and then we have a Tweetup with Nancy Zimmerman at 7:00pm at the Irish Heather. Nancy is one of my very best friends so I can’t really miss her visit.
Therefore, I’m going to be Blipping my #musicthursday all of Wednesday. Sorry for clogging your Twitter streams, but I really don’t want to miss something that is becoming part of the tradition. Also, by all means, feel free to Blip your own Canadian tunes and tag with #musicthursday so that it can show up in Twitter Search.
My adoration for Bard on the Beach is not a surprise to anyone. This past weekend, JT took me as his guest to see “All’s Well That Ends Well” and we enjoyed one of the most lovely Sunday afternoons/evenings we have had. I also recently had the pleasure of giving away tickets to Othello (another fantastic production, which I am hoping to go and see with JT too – though that might have to wait for a couple of weeks – I don’t want him to be over-exposed to Shakespeare!).
Credit: Bill D'Agostino
For a chance to win one pair (2) of reserved tickets to the 8pm performance of The Comedy of Errors (Tuesday, July 28th, 2009), drop a comment on my post with any stories of instances when someone has confused you for someone else (i.e. almost as though if you had an identical twin). I’ll draw the winner during my Blogathon 2009, at 2pm on Saturday July 25th, 2009. Thanks again to Bard on the Beach for sponsoring my contest! For more information on Bard, and to purchase tickets, you can check their website.
I have been in touch with Greg Valou from Metro Vancouver since Vancouver’s first ChangeCamp and a few weeks back, I gave a presentation to their social media working group on why Metro Vancouver (the organization formerly known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District, GVRD) should be using social media. I believe they are moving forward in the right direction. Greg informed me about their Metro Vancouver Recycles online resource the last time I visited their offices but I had neglected to post about it. Since I believe it’s a great resource, here it is.
Our directory of reuse and recycling services is designed to help you answer the question “Where do I take this?” The database contains over 1,300 locations within the Metro Vancouver region to donate, recycle or appropriately dispose of those items you no longer want.
The screenshot below shows you all the different locations where I could recycle my computer parts should I desire to do so (I used WorkSpace as a landmark location, but I should have used The Network Hub since my office is there! Anyways, it’s literally like 5 blocks away from my reference point)
I’m a big supporter of Pride, the series of events that highlight and celebrate the sexual diversity of our community in Vancouver, and the Lower Mainland. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was a bit conflicted as to which events I would attend because there are so many and only one Raul. But this one, I *will* attend: Pride in Fashion.
My dear friend Shallom Johnson (StyleFinds) is helping with the event so I’m also helping spread the word (not only because I strongly support Pride but also because Shallom is my friend. And I’m all about helping my friends (because what goes around, comes around too – karma, you know!). From the media release:
On Thursday, July 30, gay culture strikes a pose at Celebrities nightclub in Vancouver Pride Week’s fiercest event: PRIDE In Fashion. Featuring some of the city’s top male models, a performance by the urban dance collective House of LaDouche, music and images from four decades on the gay club dance floor, and high-drama styling by The Lounge Hair Studio, PRIDE In Fashion reminds us that Pride isn’t always about rights: sometimes it’s about being fabulous.
PRIDE In Fashion
Thursday, July 30
Celebrities, 1022 Davie St., 604.681.6180
Doors 9 p.m., Show starts at 11 p.m., club open until 4 a.m.
$20 Advance at Little Sister’s Bookstore (1238 Davie St.), Priape (1148 Davie St.), Boys’Co (1044 Robson St.) and online at Celebritiesnightclub.com
$25 At the door
You may remember that I am a big fan of deep house music. I have followed the career of Latrice Barnett ever since my dearest friend LM immersed herself (and dragged me along for the ride) in deep house music. This is much more my style (she likes now more break beats – whereas I prefer danceable tunes, kinda funky and still within the deep house flavor). Here is for your listening pleasure “The One” by Jay-J featuring Latrice. You all know I am a lover of ‘Kodak Moments’. The kind of “Kodak Moment” I see here is me dancing to this tune at a bar in New York or Paris (although perhaps not sung in English, hehe). Hope you enjoy it.
I had a chance to spend a couple of days in Sidney by the Sea (in Vancouver Island, British Columbia) and a day trip to Salt Spring Island invited on a very unique trip (as all the businesses who invited me did so because of the focus of my research in environment, the interest of my audience in sustainability themes and my own personal interest in showcasing local businesses).
In particular, I have found Sidney and Salt Spring Island rather underrated and when the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre invited me to visit and to organize a full-fledged tour, I jumped at the possibility. While I am a specialist in water, I’m not an ocean and marine policy expert. So this opportunity to visit the SODC would give me more exposure to marine and fisheries issues. My trip was complemented with a visit to the Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse, and the hotel where I stayed (the Sidney Pier Hotel and Spa) has implemented numerous sustainable practices.
Moreover, my transportation was taken care of by Salt Spring Air (from Vancouver to Patricia Bay in Vancouver Island and from Ganges Harbour in Salt Spring Island to Vancouver), however I took BC Ferries from Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour. Salt Spring Air is a carbon-neutral company. For me, this trip was not only a much-needed getaway but also a chance to (a) experience a number of products and services offered by local firms in Vancouver Island and the Gulf Island and (b) promote local businesses who have implemented sustainable practices all over.
This trip was definitely a perfect fit both for the consortium as well as for me, because of my interests in sustainability and in showcasing and promoting local businesses. While I definitely needed to have spent a full week there to at least begin to experience both areas (Salt Spring Island and the Saanichton area), and I really didn’t get as much rest as I wanted to, it was great for me to at least get away for a couple of days. I also had the opportunity to go down to Victoria to visit some of the friends I’ve made through Twitter. We had a drink at The Office Lounge down by Blanshard and Yates, and I had overall a good time.
This week will feature individual posts describing the activities I undertook while visiting Sidney and Ganges, as well as an overview of the companies who invited me. The hashtag on Twitter I’m using for Sidney is #sidneyshowcase and for Salt Spring Island is #saltspringvisit. Hope you enjoy the series!
I have always loved this song (I recently posted the Robert Palmer one), but I found a version with an Italian singer (much more rock-based!)… let me know what you think. At points, the video may not be Safe For Work, just a warning!
I have always been a fan of theatre (as my readers will know – I’ve given away A LOT of tickets on my site for theatrical performances, thanks to the wonderful sponsors that have provided me with opportunities to reward my readers). My main aim is to showcase the local talent in Vancouver (and overall, in British Columbia) with all these contest giveaways and with my reviews of theatre plays. This year, Bard on the Beach has been kind enough to sponsor two contests (one for Othello, for which I’ll be drawing a winner this afternoon, and one for Comedy of Errors).
I knew that JT had wanted to go to Bard on the Beach with me and attend the lecture series as well as do the picnic (i.e. the whole 9 yards), so I met him at his place around 3pm and we took the Aqua Bus towards the Maritime Museum. We went for a nice walk around Kitsilano Beach and then attended the lecture series. I’ll describe the series in more detail in a subsequent post, but suffice it to say that it was an excellent event.
We then picked up our picnics by Emelle, the official caterer of Bard (JT purchased an “All’s Well” picnic, the heartiest/biggest meal of them all). While I liked the food, I was kind of taken aback by the cold picnic in the format they did it (cold rice and cold chicken). For the next time we go there, we’re going to order sandwiches (The Comedy picnic).
After dinner we headed to the stage where All’s Well that Ends Well would take place. Admittedly, I am a Shakespeare fan. Admittedly, I have been a theatre actor and fan for many years. But that doesn’t cloud my judgement. This was a PHENOMENAL performance. The gist of the play (a problem play, as English scholars call it) is that Helena, a poor woman from a lower class, cures the King, she wants his son Bertram as husband. He runs away but Helena, wise and street-smart, has devised a plot with Diana (the woman that Bertram has tried to woo) to win him back. There’s a lot of talk about sex 🙂
I was delighted with the performance, and all the actors did a phenomenal job (although of note I should indicate the delightful work of the actress who played Diana). This kind of problem play (where there is no exact measure of comedy or drama) also presents fantastic challenges of interpretation. Is Shakespeare being sexist, anti-feminist or is he empowering women?
Overall, I had a delightful evening with JT and I am ever grateful that he invited me along. This is the kind of stuff that friendships are made of. We walked leisurely over the Burrard bridge towards his apartment so that he could drive me back home and as we strolled around, we had a chance to discuss about how great Bard on the Beach is. If you have a chance to attend a performance, I thoroughly recommend it. All’s Well was entirely sold out the evening we saw it, so you may need to check about ticket availability.
I’m not a parent (something that anybody who reads my blog will know very, very well). However, I am the uncle to 8 nieces and nephews, and my eldest niece is 18, where the second one is 15. They are, obviously, at the age where I (the uncle, inexperienced, young and clearly not ready to be a parent myself) get all frazzled and worried about you know, teenage pregnancies issues and all that. I know that my brother and my sister in law have been very good at talking with their girls, but then again, as I said, I’m the naive uncle who worries perhaps too much without even have a good reason for it.
I just came back from a delicious evening at Bard on The Beach (the Shakespeare festival here in Vancouver – by the way, did you know that I am giving away two tickets to Othello? No? Enter my draw, then!) … JT and I saw “All That’s Well Ends Well”. The vast majority of this play deals with sex, and I saw a couple of 7-11 yr old kids at the performance. I have to say that I was slightly squirmy when all the talk about chastity and so on took place. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I knew that babies didn’t come from Paris and weren’t brought by the stork VERY early in my life. But at the same time, I am not sure when is the right time to talk to kids about sex.
Since I’m sure LOTS of my readers are parents (or if you’re not, but you have an opinion, feel free to comment on the issue) I thought I’d ask is there a right time for parents to talk to their kids about sex? Chime in on the comments section.
To say that I’m a bookworm is a bit of an understatement. I did a PhD amongst other things because I love reading. Coincidentally, I was having this debate with myself last night – should I go for self-publishing a book vis-a-vis going to an academic press (considering that the publishing cycle in academic presses is so long. Think about it, some of my interview data is from 2004-2006, and my book is coming out in 2009. That’s almost 3 years). So the discussion around book writing, the state of online publishing and the value of e-Books in Vancouver is a timely one.
Some of my friends (including Monique Trottier and Nick Bouton) are organizing BookCamp Vancouver 2009. I plan to attend and I’ve thought of talking and leading a session on self-publishing vs. academic presses. You can register on EventBrite.
And before anybody asks, no, I am in no way, shape or form at odds with either the GLBT community nor with the Vancouver Pride Society. I love the celebration itself. It’s a day I usually spend with people I absolutely adore (most often, my offline friends, but other Pride Days I’ve spent with my Mom when she’s visited me here).
Credit: David Drucker
My conflict stems more from the fact that it’s such a rich celebration and so filled with events that it will be almost absolutely impossible for me to attend or even attempt to cover as media even a minimal amount of events. I have very little energy during Pride Week in Vancouver (don’t ask me why – it just so happens that way). Therefore, I am wondering what I should do.
Obviously, and knowing my friends and many of my readers, I am pretty sure I’ll get a lecture 🙂 “you don’t have to do EVERY SINGLE EVENT, Raul”. True, but I still think that I should at least attend a couple of events. Even more so as I know that many of my readers would be expecting at least some sort of coverage (since I’ve attended several events this year associated with the GLBT community). I’ll see how to deal with my energy levels. In the mean time, be sure to check out the Vancouver Pride Society events page. East Side Pride already took place at the end of June but the next event is July 18th with Gay PlayLand at the PNE (I won’t be attending as I will be at Bard on the Beach).
Last year, both Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz were somewhat snubbed by the Mexican press as they barely missed the podium in their individual efforts (diving). Espinosa ended up 4th overall and Ortiz 5th. People seem to forget that Espinosa and Ortiz won a silver medal in synchronized diving (10m platform). Tonight, I was watching TV (rarely do I do this, but I happened to be watching the FINA World Aquatic Championships) and noticed that Espinosa was leading the scoreboard in diving. She stunned reigning Olympic champion Chen Ruolin with a lead of . I stayed up until I watched her final dive, a perfect score and then I saw… Paola Espinosa is the 2009 World Aquatic Champion (diving, 10m platform)! This is a fantastic result for Espinosa, but not something that I’m surprised about. Paola has demonstrated tenacity and a lot of skills. Mexicans are traditionally a force to be reckoned with in diving (both 3m and 10m, as well as synchro). Congratulations, Paola! You make Mexicans worldwide proud!
Gary Jones from BlueFur invited me to be a speaker at the forthcoming WordCamp Fraser Valley (I spoke at the previous year’s WordCamp Fraser Valley). I have some experience with WordPress, having blogged on this platform (the free version, WordPress.com) since March 2008, and self-hosted since early November 2008. I have been learning a lot and growing as I’ve continued using the platform. With the help of many friends in the community, I have created my own research site, re-theme it, and make it do what I want it to do. I am still exploring the powerful possibilities of WordPress, but I think I have some stuff that I can offer to a beginner/intermediate audience. The title of my talk will be
Accessorize Your Blog: Top Ten Ways to Maximize Reader Experience
While I’m not going to give away the content of the talk, given the title of the talk, what would you like me to speak about, if you were to attend my talk? As usual, have your say on the comments section.
By now many of you know that I’m in Vancouver Island until mid-way this weekend. It’s ok, I’ll explain more about this little getaway in future posts. But for now, I just want to thank my friends from the Victoria social media/tech/online community, because they gathered this past Friday (July 17th, 2009) to not only hang out amongst themselves but also welcomed me back (if you recall, I was in Victoria as a keynote speaker for the Social Media Club back in May). I can’t believe it’s July already (almost August!) – thanks everyone, it was lovely to see you again. I have a special place in my heart for all of you.
Do you ever feel like you need something to push you over the edge and make you feel better? I often do. When this happens, I am mostly drawn to ice cream, or gelato. There are a number of gelato shops in Vancouver, and I even live near by one of them (on Main Street near 16th Avenue). But I have to say that even though I’m a big fan of Mondo Gelato and other shops, I will always be a loyal customer of La Casa Gelato, located on Clark and Venables in East Vancouver.
La Casa Gelato has been in operation for over 20 years, and they offer 218 flavors (yes, you heard right – two hundred and eighteen). Some of the flavors are a bit weird, like curry, but some of them are absolutely delicious. For JT and I, La Casa Gelato is also a place that has fond memories. Our friendship over a decade has been marked by repeated trips to this wonderful ice cream and gelato house. My favorite flavors are bubblegum and cherimoya. What are your favorite ice cream or gelato flavors?
I have participated in numerous events of the Vancouver Board of Trade, primarily to report on them (as media) but this time, I was invited as a guest of Dave Macdonald, someone whose company I really enjoy and whose insights are valuable to me. Dave is very well aware of my interest in sustainability, social policy and particularly, urban structure and poverty issues. Dave also invited Toby Barazzuol along as a guest. Toby is, very much like Dave, a very smart man (and someone with insight into the actual situation of the Downtown East Side). I preface my post with this overview as it is important to indicate that the people who joined me to this event are very much people who have had the time to reflect on the myriad complex factors that intervene in homelessness.
Credit: D.C.Atty
Quite frankly, to say that I was utterly disappointed with the talk that Mr. Mangano offered is putting it really really mildly. I really didn’t get anything out of it that I couldn’t have gotten from doing thorough research on the internet, on Google Scholar, and talking to researchers who study homelessness. Don’t get me wrong. Mangano is extremely funny, and a good speaker. I am pretty sure he has worked really hard to solve homelessness in the US. I am also fairly sure he is successful and he knows his stuff. It’s the content and delivery of the material that I was definitely not impressed with.
Bear in mind, before continuing on with my assessment, several things. First, I am an academic. Trying to convince me of something without empirical evidence is going to be very, very hard. Mangano started showing slides with data about 5 minutes before the end of his talk. Yeah… not the best timing. Second, public policy is my domain of expertise. I have taught public policy. I conduct research on public policy. My students have conducted research on homelessness, poverty alleviation and urban decay, particularly in the Downtown East Side. I know about how complex the issues with homelessness are. Heck, I’ve written about it extensively! Even though my own focus (environmental public policy) is not directly associated with issues of mental health, poverty, drug use, etc. I am still someone who thinks things through the academic analytical lenses. I know how hard it is to design public policy for homelessness, and I was disappointed that Mangano didn’t provide a list of potential policy options specifically applicable to Vancouver. I am pretty critical when I see people’s presentations, particularly because I am just as tough on myself when I give talks.
Mangano expressed a few good points that are very much worthy of highlighting here.
* Homelessness is not dependent on the economy. In economic booms, homelessness increases because of rising housing prices. In economic downturns, homelessness increases because of job loss and other factors associated with lower income.
* Economic principles per se aren’t going to solve homelessness.
* It is important to focus on ONE specific area of homelessness policy – ending STREET homelessness – focus on the most vulnerable and the disabled.
According to Mangano, the following points are key elements to success
– Definite support from mayors and council and the political will to work on the issues of homelessness
– Reframing policy from the social service frame to the business case (how can we serve this people)
– Accepting that solving homelessness will take time
– Strategic timeline
– Identification of successful case studies and strategies and investment in evidence-based options (based on research)
– The business community to invest in this process too.
What didn’t work in the US (according to Mangano)
– Ad-hoc crisis interventions (shuffling leads to morale deflating – stats he provided 75 homeless/day use St. Paul’s Hospital – $ 700 from the moment they step into the hospital onward)
– Good intentions don’t end homelessness
– Increased resources without innovative ideas, strategic planning and long-term strategy don’t work.
I scanned the room as I arrived and I noticed that not only was the room full (for a beautiful summer day, having to shell out cash to participate in an indoor event and have to wear suits, you really must be passionate), there were a lot of well-known advocates for the issue of homelessness, including people from the Vancouver Foundation and the Street To Home Foundation. I recognized many people that I knew from before, like Mike Harcourt, Andrea Reimer (a Vancouver councillor who, the more I talk to, the more impressed I am with). The Vancouver Board of Trade should feel really happy with the attendance, because there were a lot of participants as well as high-level, policy decision-makers in Vancouver were sitting in that room, along with all the other board members and guests.
My overall assessment of Mangano’s talk
Mangano’s talk sounded very much like an ode to Mayor Gregor Robertson. Every opportunity he had he lauded Robertson’s efforts. If I wanted to pay (and in this case, I didn’t pay for my own ticket but Dave did) to hear someone praising the mayor of the city I live in, I would do it. But I really don’t like paying to hear someone do that. Don’t get me wrong. I have met Gregor myself, I have had a chance to talk with him about issues and hear his own viewpoints. Mayor Robertson is (in my view, from my limited interactions with him) someone who has expressed a genuine interest in thorny issues such as homelessness, environmental protection, accessibility to housing, etc. I have very high hopes set on Gregor Robertson, and with smart people like Andrea Reimer in council and a few other councillors and COV staff I’ve met, I am sure Vancouver will look for ways to end street homelessness.
Mangano’s talk was funny and entertaining but he wasted too much time in side stuff and didn’t get into the real “meat” of the talk until the end. And yeah, that part about NOT having questions/answers period? Pretty bad.
One point that really struck a chord with me was Mangano’s phrase “I have been to the Downtown East Side already, I don’t need to go there again”. This phrase sounded to me really dismissive. It sounded very much like “I don’t need to see more, I already know what the issues are there“.
I have to repeat through my assessment (which I’m sure sounds like a scathing indictment) that I am very sure that Mangano knows his stuff and that he has worked really hard to solve homelessness in the US. Sadly, his talk at the Vancouver Board of Trade did not give him enough credit. What he said and the way he delivered it wasn’t really what I am sure he can offer, nor what I needed/wanted to hear.
My expectation coming into this talk was an overview of specific, evidence-based, research-grounded policy options to tackle homelessness in Vancouver. In no way, shape or form did I get this. So what *did* I get, you ask? Well, I got a chance to hear someone who is highly praised in the US as an authority in homelessness provide a few points that I think are worth revising. I expected a talk of much higher caliber, but then again, maybe Mangano’s timeline didn’t provide for enough time to cover everything (although I would have EXPECTED him to be able to manage his time). The fact that he didn’t get into the data until the very end and that he didn’t provide policy options was a real disappointment.
But amongst the great things I got? I got to hang out with Dave and Toby, I got to meet some really nice people, I got to see a Vancouver Board of Trade from the perspective of an attendee rather than as a representative of the media (and remember, I have given numerous keynote talks, so I’m not looking at this from the perspective of a participant but from the perspective of someone who talks to large audiences about complex, thorny policy issues). And I got to talk to Andrea Reimer, Suzanne Anton, Mike Harcourt. So, in terms of being able to access important people and talk about issues, it was a success for me. And in the end, I did hear some interesting stuff from Mangano. Just not enough.
As you guys know, my dearest friend Monica Hamburg has a blog called “Your Dose of Lunacy” (now it has its own URL). Every single time I find something worthy of being included in her blog, but that for some reason I haven’t had a chance to share with her, I always blog about it on my site and then link to her so that she knows that I, too, have found some lunacy in our beloved Vancouver. This is the most recent dose of lunacy… a left turn that is then marked as “don’t turn left“. WTF? And yes, this is in Vancouver, actually on Terminal Avenue underneath the overpass that leads from downtown to Clark Avenue. Go figure.
I was recently contacted by Dan Haves who works in the social media strategy for the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, as he kindly considered my insights to be relevant for their deployment of social media strategies. I am grateful that Dan decided to contact me (you can follow the Dalai Lama Center on Twitter too) and as I was walking towards the bus thinking and considering how to weave the storyline of the DLCPE into a blog post, I started singing in my head the song by the Spaniard group (now defunct) Mecano, “Ai Dalai (Lama)”. This song was written in a very respectful tone, and the lyrics are very touching (albeit in Spanish). Here is the video which I hope you’ll like.
Anybody who knows me can understand my fascination for day trips and picnics. I grew up in a family of five boys, Mom and Dad. We would go out on the town (or to a nearby city), picnic basket packed, all together as a family. In many ways, Gus and Russ have become the brothers I don’t have in Vancouver (my brother S does live in Canada, but in our neighbouring province of Alberta). I thoroughly enjoy their company, their advice and their insights into my life (as well as the patience they have when I “how YOU doin'” half of Vancouver’s population 🙂
Credit: Gus Fosarolli
For Canada Day, both Gus and Russ wanted to make my experience special so they decided to pack a picnic basket (fruit, chicken strips, salad and lemonade) and picked me up early in the morning. We were treated to brunch at Crave by Russ and then Gus started the drive over to Highway 1 East towards Fort Langley. I recalled that it was a touristic destination, but I knew very little about the town. It did seem like a cute little town but I didn’t know how pretty it was until we got there. I know that for some people, the municipalities in the Langley region get a bit confusing (Township of Langley, City of Langley and Fort Langley). At least, for me it wasn’t really very clear up until when I got to visit with Gus and Russ.
We walked around Fort Langley for a little bit, and of course, visited the historical site. Gus has a series of superb photos from our trip that you can see if you click on the photo above and browse through the photo stream. After we visited the Fort we sat down for a quick bite to eat and then proceeded to drive back. We attempted to cross the Golden Ears Bridge but it was too far from the Fort (and we thought of taking the ferry across but ended up just driving back). For me it was an interesting visit but more than anything, it was a great experience to spend Canada Day with two of my best Canadian friends. I strongly recommend a visit to Fort Langley. More info on the town from their website:
The village of Fort Langley is made up of over 2700 residents and over 100 businesses. The commercial core offers a mix of services, restaurants and retail stores. The “small town feel” and historic character is a definite attraction to both residents and tourists, making Fort Langley a well-known destination.
I find a small amount of jealousy a relatively healthy emotion. After all, it kind of shows how important you are for your partner. While I never gave my ex-partner any reason to be jealous, I sometimes found myself in hot water (because, let’s admit it, I’m quite flirtatious as well, all in good fun). I am sure many of my readers have found themselves either a bit jealous or the target of some degree of jealousy. Shakespeare sure know how to portray jealousy. I’m an absolutely adoring fan of both Shakespeare and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, now in its 20th Anniversary season. Thanks to the wonderful folks of Bard, I am able to give away 2 reserved seats for a lucky winner for a performance of Shakespeare’s Othello on Thursday July 23rd, 2009 at 8pm
So how will you win? Simply drop a comment on this blog post giving a short account of an instance when you’ve been faced with jealousy. The themes of Othello, as many of you may know, are jealousy, betrayal, prejudice and deceit. So, feel free to drop some of your horror stories here (remember, don’t provide identifying details, just the gist of the story). I will be drawing a random winner on Monday July 19th, 2009 at 2pm.
Bard on the Beach is a registered not-for-profit society with a mandate to present the works of William Shakespeare professionally and with integrity in an annual Festival that is both affordable and accessible to a wide audience, and to nurture and promote a passion and enthusiasm for Shakespeare’s work.
The plays are staged in Vanier Park on Vancouver’s waterfront, in open-ended tents with a spectacular backdrop of mountains, sea and sky. The Mainstage tent seats 520 patrons and offers two productions staged in repertory from June through September. The 240-seat Douglas Campbell Studio Stage was added in 1999 as a venue for the lesser-known plays in Shakespeare’s canon or innovative stagings of his greater works. In addition to its Shakespeare productions, Bard offers many ancillary activities including Words and Music concerts and specialty workshops and forums.
I am impressed with the growth of Bard, which served 87,000 patrons in the 2008 season. I will be attending one of the performances as JT’s guest on one of the coming weekends (he has always been a huge Bard on the Beach fan, as am I) and I will most likely be reporting back. I suspect the show will be just as amazing as it always has been in previous years. You can learn more about the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (including ways to purchase tickets online) by visiting their website. You can check the July 2009 schedule here. Again, thanks to BoTB for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everyone!
Most people announce their baby’s birth via e-mail, postcards, phone calls, etc. We in tech/social media/blogging do it via Facebook/Twitter. I just heard word from Mr. Crunchy Carpets (aka Kerry Sauriol‘s husband) that she delivered a healthy baby girl at 9.12am this morning. Congratulations to Kerry, the proud dad and the rest of the family! I know that visits may not happen soon but when you have a chance, let us know Kerry and I’ll organize a Vancouver Bloggers Meetup at your house to visit you and your little one 🙂 All the best and congrats again!
I have studied the notion of influence for a very long time now, almost a decade (I started studying environmental non-governmental organizations, ENGOs, around 1999). Therefore, I am very much up on the literature and I have tested a variety of methods (both quantitative and qualitative) to try and discern how much individuals and organizations influence the behavior of governments and industrial plants (although of course, when we refer to governmental and industry actors we are really looking at individual behavior – we can’t really treat businesses nor governments as single units).
Every so often, I come across yet another attempt to measure of influence in social media and (geeky and academic as I am) I go and test it out. The most recent one I’ve tried is the Klout score. I recently received an email indicating that my score had suffered a reduction (the graphs you are seeing are from the previous time I checked my score) and that they willing to help me try and become more influential. I have been named as an influential social media before (thanks Nate Elliott from Forrester Research!) but frankly, I don’t really pay attention to whether people in the community perceive me as influential UNLESS my influencing activity has a specific goal, like when I wanted to co-organize Mental Health Camp with Isabella
For example, if I want to ensure that my objectives for social change are well-heard and well-known, and widely spread, then I use ALL of the tools I have at my disposal. I use my (yes, very, very strong) social network to disseminate my ideas. I am well connected to many people who are considered social media and tech stars not only in Vancouver, Toronto, or Canada and the US, but even worldwide. These social media powerhouses do trust me in what I say, but that’s a bi-directional, long-time-established trust that has emerged from actual interaction, both online and in many cases, offline.
Does it upset me that my Klout score goes down or that my Twitter Grader score doesn’t rank me in the top 10 (as I’ve consistently been ranked for the past year or so)? Um, no. Not really. Real influence comes from behavioral change that is effected through the creation of long-lasting, trust-based bonds. One example – does my opinion influence other people and do they listen to what I have to say in regards to water governance? Probably. And why is that? Well, because I have built a credibility around my research (both pre- and post- my PhD). Same with social media.
If somebody comes to me and tells me “I’m in the top 10 for Twitter Grader” and I don’t know them I actually probably will giggle (since, well, I’m the organizer of the Vancouver Bloggers Meetup so chances are, I *should* know them). Why? Simply because I would argue that this is just one of many measures of influence. But I’d be curious to see what other people think about influence.
As my dear readers know, I am always a very strong supporter of local talent, particularly theatre troupes and companies. Tanja from Hoarse Raven Theatre (HRT), and producer of the award-winning theatrical play Salt-Water Moon, was kind enough to give me 2 pairs of tickets to give away to my readers for the opening night (Thursday, July 16th, 8pm).
Salt-Water Moon is a beautiful play written by Canadian playwright David French. For more insight into the characters of Salt-Water Moon you can read this piece in the journal Theatre Research in Canada (1991). From the press release:
It’s a splendid moon-filled night at Coley’s Point in August, 1926. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Mercer has returned from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland out-port, hoping to win back his former sweetheart, Mary Snow. But Mary has become engaged to wealthy Jerome McKenzie, and she is still hurt and bewildered by Jacob’s abrupt departure a year earlier. She will not be easily wooed!
WHERE: Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery St, Vancouver WHEN: Opening night is July 16th, but the play runs from July 15th to August 1st, 2009 TICKETS: $ 20/$ 15. Call 604-224-8007 ext. 3 or visit Jericho Arts Centre‘s website, or Hoarse Raven Theatre’s site (linked above).
To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post! I will draw a winner on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00pm. This play sounds like a must-see, so I am envious of the lucky readers who will be able to take in the opening night of the performance!
Gary Jones from 
